Portuguese · Body & Health
"Cough" in Portuguese: tosse
a tosse
Cough in Portuguese is a tosse. Say estou com tosse when you have one. Tosse seca is a dry cough; xarope para tosse is cough syrup.
Night sleep
A tosse não me deixou dormir direito.Speak with an AI partner · 7 days free
How to pronounce tosse
Say it
TOH-see
/ˈtosi/
TOH-see
"Cough" in Portuguese: quick reference
| Portuguese | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| a tosse | the cough Default noun. | Default noun. |
| estar com tosse | to have a cough Symptom. | Symptom. |
| tosse seca | dry cough Type. | Type. |
| xarope para tosse | cough syrup Medicine. | Medicine. |
How to use tosse in real life
- 1Night sleep
A tosse não me deixou dormir direito.
The cough didn’t let me sleep properly.
Night.
- 2Pharmacy
Tem xarope para tosse seca?
Do you have syrup for a dry cough?
Ask.
- 3Meeting
Desculpa a tosse; estou recuperando de um resfriado.
Sorry about the cough; I’m recovering from a cold.
Excuse.
Mistakes English speakers make with tosse
Incorrect: Eu tenho cough.
Correct: Eu estou com tosse.
Use tosse, not English cough.
Incorrect: O tosse está forte.
Correct: A tosse está forte.
Tosse is feminine.
Good to know
Tosse shows up with resfriado and alergia talk. Pharmacies ask if it’s seca or com catarro. Covering your mouth on the metro is expected politeness, not optional.
Try it in a ChatPal conversation
At the pharmacy counter
ChatPal
A tosse começou quando?
When did the cough start?
You
Há três dias. A tosse piora à noite.
Three days ago. The cough gets worse at night.
ChatPal
Vou te indicar um xarope para tosse.
I’ll suggest a cough syrup for you.
You
Obrigada. Prefiro algo sem sono.
Thanks. I prefer something non-drowsy.
This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.
Practice this conversation in ChatPal"Cough" in other languages
FAQ
Common questions about "Cough" in Portuguese
Gender?
Feminine: a tosse.
I have a cough?
Estou com tosse.
Dry cough?
Tosse seca.
Cough syrup?
Xarope para tosse.
Learn a word, then use it out loud
- Step 1: See it in context
- Step 2: Say it out loud
- Step 3: Get feedback
- Step 4: Use it in real scenarios
